Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-12-22

time l got L shot at him. but he wen
off at such pace rs to discourage MT
from following. Why did ne leave tn
grove the first time? He had ncithel
seen nor scented us. There was moth
ing to tell him that danger approached
He was, however. obeying what
afterward discovered was elephant in
stinct. These great beasts always ac1
on the theory that they are pursued.
If they rest for time in one spot. they
start up in alarm and go of with
rush when they go, and it is rarely
they rest again until they have travelled
twelve or fifteen miles. This fellow
had been resting two or three hours,
and he started up. went off at tro'
for three miles. doubled back like a
fox. and was contentedly feeding when
l saw him the second time.
l have often wondered that no
hunter Or native ever found an elephant
who had died by accident or old age.
l suppose the explanation is, that
when an elephant dies in the forest,
the wild beasts speedily dcvour his car
cass and scatter his bones about; but
one would naturally suppose that some
of these bones would be found at some
point or other. I have talked with
many hunters and natives, and the dis
covery once made has been declared
an exception. Twas going through an
open forest, following in the wake of a
troop of elephants which were feeding.
when l came upon the skeleton of one
stuck fast between two trees. The
trees grew from the same root. but
spread several feet apart and in the
excitement of an alarm the beast had
attempted to pass between them. He
was firmly caught behind the shoulder,
and had been held there until he
starved to death. Hide and flesh were
gone, and the bones picked clean and
some Of them fallen to the ground, but
l secured a magnificent pair of tusks
for the pulling of them from the flesh
less skull. On another occasion found
an old bull lying fiat on his side on the
open plain. and not yet quite dead. He
had been wounded by poisoned spears
thrown by the natives.
The first thought of a wild elephant
is to flee from danger, but the very
first wound inflicted arOuses his
temper and makes him a dangerous
foe. He may run off with the herd
after being struck, but if pursued and
harrassed he is quite certain to turn.
The first elephant which charged me
was the most vicious beast ever had
to deal with. l had wounded him Sc
verely one moonlight night as he stood
drinking at pool with five or six
others. They all went off with rush.
and l supposed my shot had failed
About ten o'clock next forenoon, as
was beating piece of forest fully four
miles from the pool, with my boy Joe
carrying an extra gun. the wounded
elephant suddenly charged us up
He was not over a pistol shot
away, but had been so well hidden that
we had not suspected his presence. He
had been hit in the shoulder. and the
ascent was pretty steep. But for this
lie would have had us. The man who
would attempt to run away from an
elephant On foot would be corpse in
five minutes. They have an amazing
gait in the open, and their pace is
scarcely impeded by any obstruction
in forest or jungle. Nothing smaller
than tree the size of mans body
will turn them aside. As the beast
and started for us, we both
made for the nearest tree. 1t was
large one, with branches growing well
down. but we only got one gun up.
and were not above fifteen feet from
the ground when the elephant reached
the spot. He was in a terrible rage.
His first move was to break off every
branch he could reach, and we were
not safe until we were twenty-five feet
above him. He was not over three
minutes stripping off the branches,
and he did not cease his trumpet;ng for
4 second.
The tree was fifty feet high and
eighteen inches through the trunk.
When the old fellow had every thing
cleared away. he took hold with his
trunk. got good brace with his feet.
and lifted justas man would. felt the
tree tremble from root to top, and |
have no doubt that had the monster
been free of wound he would have
pulled it over. As it was, he started
some of the roots when he sasged back
with his full weight He made four or
i've heavy pulls before he gave up. and
hen he tried another plan. He was
quite at liberty to work any way he de-
sired. as had cartridge jsmmed in
ny gun and was working to get it
clear. The old behemoth rctreated
pack about ten rods, and then came
or the tree head on. We knew what
vas coming, and were clinging fast
md tight. but the shock nearly spilled
Is out. He tried it twice more, and
hen gave it up. My extra rifle now
caught his eye. and he picked it up.
it around several times. and
hen smash. it went against the tree.